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The FBI says a 35-year-old Kauai man who said he was hiding a marijuana cigarette under his clothes near his groin bolted from one Transportation Security Administration screener who was conducting a pat-down and shoved another screener at Honolulu Airport on Saturday.
Federal prosecutors charged Bronson Wells Howard, of Hanalei, with impeding one screener from doing his job and assaulting the other.
Howard made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today and remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center.
The FBI says when Howard showed up at the security checkpoint, he asked to opt out of the body scanner screening. That called for a pat-down in a secondary screening area. During the pat-down the FBI says the screener felt a small object on Howard’s left leg near the groin and told Howard that “the anomaly needed to be resolved.”
At that point Howard began grabbing his possessions and attempted to put his shoes on. All Howard was able to get away with was one shoe and his cellular telephone, the FBI says. Howard then ran from the screening area, shoving a second screener and avoiding the grasp of a third, and out of the terminal.
The FBI says private airport security officers stopped and detained Howard near a parking structure and turned him over to state sheriff deputies. Near where the security officers stopped Howard they found a length of white tape with what appeared to be pubic hair attached.
Howard said the object near his groin was a marijuana cigarette that he discarded when he ran from the terminal. The FBI said Howard cut off the interview when the agent pressed him on where he discarded the cigarette and whether or not he was carrying any other contraband.
The FBI says authorities using law enforcement dogs searched the area but did not find the cigarette or any other drugs.
What an idiot. All of that for only one joint??
What did the TSA start rolling down his pants? They always do that to me because I’m disabled.
Your tax dollars at work. Thanks to an imaginary fear of a plant that was created by God on the third day of creation, this man’s life is probably ruined and our judicial system will have another victim to digest, all curtesy of our tax collars. Thanks a lot big brother.
No, because a paranoid individual overreacted. If they found it, no big deal. His bags would’ve been checked and he would probably get warned. Maybe this guy needs a big brother!
Bdpapa, agree. Since he shoved the TSA worker, there might be a Federal assault charge pending. The buggah should’ve opted for the walk-through body scanner. The scanner is looking for metal, not a tiny amount of paper and crushed vegetation.
“this man’s life is probably ruined” because of his own stupidity. The TSA wasn’t even searching him for marijuana. They are searching for all things that are on the prohibited items list.
We are watching you too, UNCLE knows everything, smile next you fly.
Not surprised this occurred on Kauai.
Oahu, oahuan.
Babooze!
Babooze is right…if he does any time (which he probably won’t), he’ll learn the proper way to hide drugs on your person.
A babooze minus one of his “pube” hairs.
It was not a joint, but an incendiary or explosive device. It could also have been a lithium battery which are banned on flights. They have not yet found the object.
In fact, it was a joint-sized tac nuke.
I’m thinking dirty bomb.
He should sell his story to the Harold and Kumar series.
Should have simply smoked it first.